Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Airing of Praises (to offset the venting post)

Clearly, the extended time spent in my house this past week reached a pinnacle with one of my last posts. I was irritated and well, needed to vent. The airing of the grievances was completed and published. Whew. Now, that’s over, and the weather is returning to normal for the south. That means no snow and sunshine. It’s why God placed us in the south. Thank you Lord.

My kids have encouraged me to air some compliments and praise to offset the negative. So, here goes…

1. My greatest respect goes out to people who are honest about their struggles and the tough stuff they deal with on a daily basis. Families who have friends who know their weaknesses and hold them accountable are highly esteemed in my book!
2. Full attention…I am sending love out to the people who stay OFF their electronic devices and pay 100% attention to others in their presence. I have recently seen several tables full of people who never even looked up from their phones or computers to talk to people (often, their families) at the same table. I need to work on this one myself!
3. People who workout on a regular basis are often seen as over the top. It’s called dedication, and I admire it. Taking time out of your day to honor the Lord with your body is hard…but it is good.
4. Props to people who can laugh at themselves on a regular basis. I live with Zeke Turner, so it’s pretty easy to hear belly laughs around here often. The English language turns out to be a source of much confusion (e.g. super and supper), and it keeps us on our toes.
5. Servants….I can’t say enough about how much I admire and cherish people with serving lives. They serve every week and don’t draw attention to themselves or what they do. They just do it because it’s what God called them to do. And, they do not have to advertise their obedience. From parking teams to greeters to teachers to waitresses….hats off to all of you.
6. Couples who have been married 25 years or more and seek to teach/mentor/guide younger couples in Christ! Marriages are falling apart all around us all…it is a travesty. Personally, JT and I struggled through our 7th and 13th years of marriage (the entire 365 days of each one)…thank God for couples who encouraged, loved and supported us during those times. Being married for a while is one thing…helping others to get there is something special!
7. Encouragers! Woo-hoo, this is my favorite! I have friends who are just the most awesome encouragers…meaning, they ENCOURAGE…not drawing attention to themselves but pointing me to Christ with every single word. We all need friends like that! I need to work on this one!
8. Sign language interpreters. Over the past three months, my kids have been enthralled with watching our friend Kim interpret for the deaf community in our church. Honestly, even if I didn’t hear the songs or sermon, I would KNOW the glory of Christ and would see His grace on display just by watching her. It’s been beautiful beyond measure…I don’t even have words.
9. A clean house. I am sure I am not alone, but the idea of a clean house just thrills my soul. My dream comes true once every two weeks for approximately 2 hours. Then, it gets messed up again. I have learned to enjoy those two hours and to appreciate the chaos it quickly becomes thereafter.